Domaine Chandon Celebrates 40th Anniversary

Napa Valley sparkling wine producer commemorates four decades

– setting the stage for the future

February 28, 2013 08:05 AM Eastern Standard Time

YOUNTVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To mark a significant milestone anniversary, Domaine Chandon will host a
series of dinners at étoile Restaurant in March and an
anniversary celebration in July. The latter will include a Bastille Day
event for winery visitors and Club Chandon members. A special cuvee
honoring the 40th anniversary will be released in time for
the events in July and will be available at the winery and online. More
information is available at chandon.com.

The story of Domaine Chandon began as a vision of Moët-Hennessy Chairman
Robert Jean de Vogüé, which was brought alive in 1973 by the passion of
John Wright – the winery’s first employee and president. Their
collaboration resulted in the first winery to be established by a French
wine and spirits producer, Moët-Hennessy, in the United States, marking
a turning point in the history of Napa Valley.

Domaine Chandon began to produce sparkling wine, applying centuries old méthode
traditionnelle techniques and showcasing the ripe fruit and vibrant
character of California.

In 1975, Dawnine Dyer joined the fledgling organization, becoming the
first female sparkling winemaker in the U.S. and one year later the
winery released its first vintage, a Brut. Guided by Edmond Maudière,
Moët & Chandon’s chef de cave, and later Richard Geoffroy, chef
de cave for Dom Pérignon, Dawnine developed Chandon’s house-style
more than a quarter of a century. Today, Tom Tiburzi, who worked with
Dawnine for the first 10 years of his nearly quarter-century tenure,
holds the winemaking reigns at Chandon.

The winery began with vineyard holdings in the Mount Veeder and
Yountville regions. Within a few years the winery expanded into Los
Carneros where few vintners had ventured. Cool-climate varieties such as
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – the essence of Champagne – were planted
together with Pinot Meunier, resulting in its first commercial bottling
in the U.S in 2002. The winery’s Carneros holdings expanded through the
years and is now under the direction of Raymond Reyes, Chandon’s
long-time director of winegrowing.

As for the winery, it was designed to intimately blend into the contours
of the landscape – demonstrating an early appreciation of ecological
harmony, whose exemplary environmental credentials are further
reinforced today.

Domaine Chandon also brought fine dining to Napa Valley. Its young
French chef from Champagne, Philippe Jeanty, masterfully placed emphasis
on food and wine pairings that would define Napa Valley as a culinary
destination. In the ensuing years, étoile’s kitchen served as a training
ground for many of Northern California’s best chefs, and is now under
the direction of the highly talented Perry Hoffman.

Domaine Chandon is located at 1 California Drive, Yountville, CA and is
open for daily tours, tastings and culinary experiences.